"What do you mean, you don't know?" I asked him, confused by his words.
"I mean that I really don't know" he replied, a hint of something I couldn't quite recognise in his voice. "Do you think he lied?"
I sighed. "Zayn might be a lot of things, but I don't think he's a liar. What even would he get from lying about this?"
"I don't know... I can't believe I really did that."
"I thought you were done with having that huge crush on him?" I asked him.
"Well, clearly I was not" he snapped.
"Whatever, Niall. I really don't know what to say anymore. I have to go to work now" I told him after having given a fast glance at the clock.
"Bye" he replied, and I closed the call.
I got ready for work and left the house, glancing at Harry's door and wondering if he was inside. I decided not to check and went down the stairs. I took the car, not wanting to risk being bothered by someone, that probably went by the name of Louis. His obsession with Harry was starting to worry me way more than I would've liked to admit. He seemed quite stalker-ish, and I didn't really know how far he would've gone to have his way.
As soon as I stepped inside the building I worked at, I took the lift up to the seventh floor. Not many people were around since the restaurant hadn't opened for customers yet, so I put all my belongings in the back room and went out on the balcony, opening the lock and closing the door behind me carefully, since I didn't want the cold to get inside.
It wasn't a beautiful day. Even if it wasn't exactly raining, the sky was grey and the sun was hidden. Once again, the cold London wind was blowing on the streets. Winter was coming around, everybody could feel it in their bones and in the freezing air. I leaned against the railing, looking at the city behind me, getting lost in trying to follow with my eyes the small cars moving around and the people walking on the streets, not even realising that time was passing by.
"It's really beautiful and all, but you have to come inside. We're about to open" a voice said behind me.
I turned around and saw Chloe. "Sure, let's go" I said and we both got in, locking the door again.
"So how did it go?" She asked excitedly as we went around fixing every little thing that wasn't exactly in its right place.
I stopped doing what I was doing and I looked at her with a confused look on my face."What?"
She rolled her eyes at my question, a smile on her face. "I know it must've been a boy. You wouldn't have asked me to cover for you yesterday night if it wasn't for a boy!"
"Really? What if I was spending time with my family?" I asked her.
"Were you?" She fired back, turning to me and rising an eyebrow.
"I was not" I admitted.
"So?" She asked impatiently.
"Good, I guess" I replied, taking some menus.
Another waiter came towards us. He was new, and to be honest I didn't really remember his name. James, maybe? Or Jack? I had no idea.
"Girls, what about you start to be professional? The restaurant is about to open" he scolded us.
I nodded and took it as a chance to walk away from the awkward situation.
• • •
When I ended my shift I decided to go to the library where Niall worked, even though I knew he wasn't there.
I didn't really feel like hanging out with Liam, or going home for the matter. After all that had happened, it felt weird to be around him and Niall. It was as if that situation had brought around a side of them both that I had never seen before, and I needed to get adjusted to it before going back to normal. As normal as it could be, of course.
But at the same time I also didn't want to go home, because I knew that if I had I could've not stopped myself from knocking on Harry's door, and I really felt like I had to give him some alone time. I didn't want to come off as someone who gets attached too soon. Which I really wasn't to be honest, but Harry just had something in him that seemed to be screaming at me to do all I could to keep him safe. That man was so confusing in his mysteriousness. In that little over a month I had known him for, I felt like I barely knew him. He was unreadable and unpredictable, everything he did seemed to confuse me more and more. He didn't drink, but sometimes he did. He was a literature teacher and had all the peculiarities of a kind soul, but at the same time he had got drunk at work. He was close to his sister, but didn't talk to his family. He liked me, but he couldn't accept the fact that I liked him as well. He was the kind of person that would ask before kissing someone, but at the same time he had done something that both he and Louis defined as terrible in the past.
Louis. I had noticed that Harry had become rather fidgety since he had come around. Just like the first times I had seen him. I couldn't understand how he was involved with Harry in the first place. I hadn't really asked about it, though. I should've. Would he have even answered though? He should've. But I knew he wouldn't have.
I didn't exactly know what was going on between us, but I knew that if we wanted whatever it was to work, he needed to tell me more. I needed to know what was going on, because that situation was only becoming more and more ridiculous.
I sighed when I realised that, even though I'd roamed the shelves for about fifteen minutes, I couldn't find any book interesting enough to catch my attention. I got out of the library and went back home.
When I stepped onto my floor, I was surprised to find a girl banging on Harry's door.
I couldn't see her face as I walked behind her, playing with the key to my house. Her hair was of a really light blonde, clearly bleached, and rather short.
"Searching for Harry?" I asked casually, opening my door.
She turned around and I was met with puppy brown eyes. Her complexion was really light, and she had some freckles on her nose and cheeks. I felt as if I had already seen her, but I couldn't remember when, or where.
"Do you know him?" She asked confusedly.
I nodded slowly.
"Oh thank god, finally he's coming out a little." She walked to me, holding her hand out for me to shake. "I'm Gemma, Harry's sister."
I took it, smiling at her. "I'm Grace, Harry's... friend, I guess. I also happen to live here" I said, gesturing to my flat.
"Oh that's nice!" She exclaimed, but then she looked back at Harry's door and worry filled her eyes. "Do you know if he's inside? He's not answering his phone."
I shook my head. "Sorry, I just came back from work" I told her, and she nodded sadly. "I'm sure he'll come around soon, do you want to come in while you're waiting?"
She seemed nervous, and started searching for something in her bag. "Shit, I forgot his keys at home."
"I'm sure he will be back soon" I told her, leaving my door half open and walking to her, that was now in front of Harry's door.
"You don't understand, I have to get in. I need to make sure he isn't doing anything stupid" she said, seeming somewhat distressed.
"What do you mean?" I asked, and she shrugged.
"Nothing important." She stopped searching in her bag and looked at me. "Do you have a hairpin?"
"Hang on, don't you think that forcing his door open is a bit too extreme?" I asked her, understanding what she wanted to do right away.
"Nothing is too extreme when it comes to Harry. Please, I really am worried. Plus, I'm his sister, not a stranger. I don't plan on robbing him or murdering him, if that's what you're thinking about."
I took the hairpin that was keeping my hair out of my eyes and gave it to her. "If he gets mad, it's not on me" I said, giving it to her.
"I'll keep my mouth shut" she replied, starting to pick the lock.
After a while, the door opened with a click.
"You can go inside, I'll take it from here" she said getting in, "And thank you."
I went inside my house, a bit concerned over what had happened. Even though I decided not to knock at his door not to bother the two siblings, I spent the day listening carefully to every little sound coming from the hallway.
Later that evening my door was knocked on.
I stood up and opened it, feeling a bit confused when I discovered that it was Gemma.
"Hey, I just came to tell you that Harry was just sleeping. I don't really know what's going on between you two since that he never tells me anything, but you looked worried so I guess you're quite close? I don't know really. Just that. I'll be going now. He might come around later though, at least he said so when I told him what happened this afternoon. I just had to, he kept asking questions and I can't lie to him. But don't worry, he knows it's my fault, that I'm the one that opened the door. So you're good" she rambled, "I'll just go now."
"It's okay, thanks for telling me" I replied, and she smiled.
"I hope we'll meet again" she simply said before going away.
Down the stairs.